The bible says that when God created man that it was good. Man had dominion over the earth. In fact he fellowshiped and communed with God each day. God basically told man that he could do anything he wanted except he could NOT eat of the fruit of a specific tree. Well we all know the story. Adam ate of the fruit and that spanned a great divide in which God and man were separated. Man cannot of himself span the divide. It created hostility and enmity between God and man. At that point the human race was plunged into the depravity of sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God – ALL! That is that God “imputed” sin on all mankind. Ryrie defines imputation as – “to attribute or reckon or ascribe something to someone. It is not mere influence but involvement that is at the heart of the concept.”
In essence when when go to the scripture we find three basic imputations. There is as I have just mentioned the imputation of Adam’s sin to the human race. Paul clearly outlines this for us in Romans 5:12-21. By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin for all have sinned.
Then there is the imputation of man’s sin to Christ. Again it is Paul who outlines this as well in 2 Corinthians 5:19. “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” We must understand this in light of John 3:16 where we are told that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (reconciled) however it is only effective upon the sinner believing – by faith. Which brings us to…
The imputation of Christ’s Righteousness to believer’s. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” By faith the sinner receives the finsihed work of Calvary’s cross – and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him – is reckoned to him!
This whole concept is that it is God in His love who has reconciled the believer to Himself through Christ. Psalm 32:2 “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.”
What are the implications? 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.” Start living the new life that God has given us. STOP the carnality – start living a holy and sanctified life IN CHRIST! – NOW! If God has saved you, allow Him to be glorified in you.
